Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren is recognizing the tens of thousands calling on her to challenge Hillary Clinton for president, saying the “Run Warren Run” movement wants “real change” and less gab and promises from politicians.
Asked directly about progressives and liberals urging her to run for the Democratic nomination, Warren this week said her fans are tired of waiting for action from Washington, and promised to deliver changes, though she didn’t say how.
Her comments came in answer to a question from the Springfield, Mass., Republican newspaper. Reporter Robert Rizzuto asked, “I just want to ask for your reaction to the folks who your message is resonating with, that want you to run for president, that support you as a senator. Your message is out there and it’s really striking people in the hearts and minds. I just want to get your reaction to seeing that translate.”
After a pause, Warren answered, “Americans understand that the game is rigged, and they’ve had enough of it. They’re ready to fight back. They want a Washington that works for them.”
She added, “I think that people are getting more engaged, politically, and they’re seeing through a lot of the rhetoric that politicians have been throwing out there for a long time. They want to see some real change, and I think that’s what we need to work on.” The story was posted on the MassLive.com site.
Warren also told the paper that at their December meeting she and Clinton did not talk about the 2016 race, instead focusing on issues the race should address.
Her words were encouraging to the two groups behind the “Run Warren Run” movement, Democracy for America and MoveOn.org, though the paper translated her comments to mean that the message, not the messenger, is most important.
DFA Spokesman Neil Sroka said Warren’s “comments are an incredibly clear sign that Senator Elizabeth Warren hears the hundreds of thousands of Americans across the country who want her in the 2016 race, because they know we need a president who’s not afraid to stand up to the powerful and fight for working families.
“There’s still plenty we plan on doing to encourage Senator Warren to heed the call of her supporters, change her mind about running, and enter the 2016 race, but, after what we heard today, there’s no doubt she’s listening.”
The two groups say they have over 300,000 supporters encouraging Warren to run for president.
Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner’s “Washington Secrets” columnist, can be contacted at [email protected].
